Door-controlling means.



No. 733,624. v PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

A. D. GAYWOOD.

DOOR GONTROLLING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEBT l.

2 EL/'1 of THE cams PETER; co, PHO-mutuo., WASHINGTON. n c.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTBD JULY 14,1903. A. D. GAYWOOD. DOOR GONTROLLING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1902. A

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ilNiTnn STATES Patented July 14, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT D. CAYWOOD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,624, dated July 14, 1903.

Application filed May 9,1902. Serial No, 106,649. (No model) To all whom it 17a/ay concern.-

Be it known that l, ALBERT D. CAYWooD, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Door- Controlling Means, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to means for automatically controlling the closing of lire-doors, being directed especially to means for controlling the closing of lire-doors for hatchways, elevator-shafts, and the like.

My primary object is to provide simple and efficient means for automatically controlling` the closing of fire-doors.

My invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying dra-win gs, in which- Figure l represents a broken sectional view of a building7 showing a series of hatchways with fire-doors equipped with my improved automatic controlling means; Fig. 2, an enlarged broken sectional vienv similar toFig. l and showing the upper story of the building; Fig. 3, an enlarged broken sectional view illustrating a fuse-link employed, and Fig. a a detached perspective view of one of the main weights employed for releasing the locking means of the door-retainers.

The preferred construction is as follows:

A A A2 represent a series of floors having a series of openings or hatchways provided with doors B B B2; C C Ca series of door-retainers; D, a series of blocks or locking devices forlocking the retainers in the retaining position; E, a chain passing over a pulley E', connected with the ceiling E2 of the uppermost story of the building and having chain connections E8 with the blocks D; F F F2, a series of normally-restrained potentiallyoperative similar devices for moving the chain E and releasing the blocks D; G G G2, a series of wires passing over pulleys a and equipped with auxiliary weights a and serving to release the main weights of the chainactuating devices F F F2, and G3 a series of fuse-links interposed in the wires.

As indicated, the devices F F F2 are similai-ly constructed. Each comprises a vertically-disposed box or casing b, a normally eleva-ted main weight o', provided with a vertical channel h2, receiving the chain E, and a horizontal groove affording a shoulder Ui, a weight-retainer h4, pivotally secured at b5 to a plate b and having a short arm oT projecting through a slot bS in the casing b and engaging the shoulder Ui of the weight U, a spring-held lever or catch b9, pivotally secured at bw to a lug of the plate l1 and having a hook ou engaging a stud bw, with which the long end of the lever b4 is provided, and a chain bfi, connecting the free end of the lever b9 with the adjacent wire of the G series. The chain E is provided with a series of stops d, located a short distance below the weights b', as more clearly appears from Fig. 2. The chain E is also provided with a weight d', Vwhich serves to counterbalance the stops d. One wall of each casing b is extended upwardly to afford a support for a plate f, having a recess f' for receiving one end of a block D.

Each of the door-retainers is supported on apivot f2, carried by bracket-arms f3, projecting from the platef. As shown, the retainer is in the form of a lever, pivoted at its center and provided at its upper end with a recess f* for receiving one end of a block D; The blocks D are connected loosely with the chain E by means of the chains E3, the connection of each block with its chain being near an end of the block.

The pulleys a are located beneath the ceilings of the Vseveral stories, and the Wires passing over them connect with the links lf3 in Jthe manner shown. It Will be understood that the wires are Ysuitably supported and may be provided with any number of fuselinks. Usually each Wire is carried around the hatchway and provided With several fuselinks, and wires connected therewith and pro` vided with fuse-links lead away from the hatchway. One of the links G3 is shown in Fig. 3, from which it will be observed that each link comprises a member' g, provided with a cavity g@ having conical walls, a inember g2, provided with a projection g3, having conical walls and fitting into the cavity g', and a rivet g4, of fusiblematerial, connecting the members together. lt will readily be seen that when the rivet is fused the members will be permitted to separate under the tension which is ordinarily placed upon them.

In the construction shown the doors are vertically disposed in the open position, being' hinged at their lower ends. A series of springs 7L tend to force the doors to the closed position and cause sufficient pressure on the retainers to hold the blocks D in position.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing detailed description. lVhen one of the rivets g4 isfused by heat, the auxiliary or tripping weight held by the wire with which the fuse-link is connected is permitted to drop and trip the corresponding lever Il, thereby permitting the weight b to turn the lever lf* and fall upon the stop d. The Weight b is sufiieiently large to move the chain E and disengage the blocks D from the door-retainers, whereupon the door-retainers are permitted to turn freely and the doors are permitted to fall.

It readily will be seen that the wires and fuse-links are under but comparatively slight tension, while the chain E is under no tension. Nevertheless, the apparatus is delicately responsive and thoroughly efcient in operation. In case of fire on any floor of the building the apparatus located on that floor will serve to actuate the chain E and cause all the doors of the hatchways to be closed.

A common use for apparatus of this character is in connection with elevator-shafts of warehouses, and the hatchways shown in Fig. l maybe understood as representing the open` ings in the floors for an elevator-shaft.

Changes in minor details of construction within the spirit of my invention may be made. Hence no undue limitation is to be un` derstood from the foregoing detailed descripa block engaging the base end of said lever and serving to hold the other end in engagement with the door, a chain, connected with said block, and passing over a suitable support, a main weight for actuating said chain, tripping mechanism normally supporting said weight, and an auxiliary weight suspended by fusible connections and serving to move said tripping mechanism.

2. ln means of the character described, the 6o combination of a series of door-retainers normally held in the retaining position, a chain, serving to release said retainers and passing over a suitable support, a series of main Weights for moving said chain, a series of supports for said Weights supplied with tripping mechanism and a series of independent auxiliary weights suspended by independent fusible connections and serving to move said tripping mechanism, substantially as and for 7o the purpose set forth.

In means of the character described, the combination of a series of door-retainers normally held in the retaining position, a chain, for releasing said retainers and passing over a suitable support, a series of main weights, supports for said weights supplied with tripping mechanism, a series of weight-stops on said chain, a series of independent auxiliary weights for moving said tripping mechanism, 8o and supporting means for said auxiliary weights with independent fuse connections, substantially as described.

4. In means of the character described, the combination of a door-retainer normally held in the retaining position, a chain, for releasing said retainer passing over a suitable support, a main weight for actuating said chain,

a guide for said main weight, a weight-retainer pivoted on said guide and having a 9o downwardly extending arm, a transverse catch pivoted on said guide and engaging the arm of said retainer, and a fuse-supported auxiliary weight serving to move said catch, for the purpose set forth.

ALBERT D. CAYVOOD.

In presence of- A. C. KITTLnsoN, ALBERT D. BACCI. 

